Drying machine



met. 30,1923. lap/mm? G. W'. HEDSTROM DRYING MACHINE Filed Oct. 20. 192.2 2 Shams-Sheet l ci. 30 1923. Lfggll? G. w. HEDSTROM DRYING MACHINE Filed o'ct. 2O. 1922 2 sheetsneef 2 iietented @foto Sti), id,

. ldpp'licetion filed tlctobet 2l), '.lt?,v Serial Szo. t.

To ali 'whom it may concern.

Be it known that i, GUSTAN lil. liaos'rnoni, a citizen of' the United States, end e resident of Chicago, in the county of Coole and State of illinois, have invented certain new sind useful improvements in Drying; Machines; and i do hereby declare thet the following is o full, clear, and eme-t de scription thereof, reference beine; hed to the accompanying drewings, end to the chemon ters of reference marked thereon, which toi-m e part of this speciicetion.

This invention relates to improvements in "dryingmachines for drying; articles or iihns on articles :is the letter pass slowly 'through the drying1 chamber ot the machine, end is herein shown as designed more especially for dryingr the thin lm of sealing medium, such as rubber compound, in the bottoms of the annuler `grooves of een ends, there placed for the purpose of sealing the joint between the can body and ends when the grooved rims ot the ends are seemed over the body of the can. While my improve- 5 ments are herein shown as adapted v` for drying sealing compound in the bottoms ot een end grooves,` it AWill be understood thi-it the invention is not .limited to this pei-tico.- lar use, but may be adapted Where :malo gous conditions for drying similar articles are found.

' Sealing films have heretofore been ep plied to the grooves of can ends in e liquid or semi-liquid stilte and it is necessary, het'ore applying the ends to the can bodies, to dry said films so that the films wiii not be scraped ofi the can end gtooyes before said ends are. applied to the can bodies, or in the interval of time between which the can ends are lso treated sind the time when they are fixed or seemed to the een bodies, and it is also highly desirable that the drying et such films be carried on in such a wey as to avoid uneven drying or blisteringof the films on the faces of the con end igrooves.

One of the' objects of the present invention is to produce a machine for this purpose so constructed and nri'enged that the can ends, after the sealing medium has been applied thereto. may be caused to travel through a predetermined long; pnth, :in

'ticiel heet 'hreed to cause the con ends yeienients shown in the drny. y

winged in ai relatively ehoi't distance, end through required to properly dry the eff medium hy i eompect and eenomicel 'ni-eci further @ect cof deciense the dimensions o Whiie increasing elgonei y ci to known machines., proridc menus which reduce to ai miniixnnn tl need 'for drying; 'p Another the inif'en ride simple sind compnet vice this purpose wh sti'ucted und errene'ed number et con ends in .cw providing: empio duration oiE period,I and `wherein the drying be gently applied, so es to injuringr the by overheat Another object of invention pro vide n drying chamber wherein the are caused to travel theiethron coection oi e lifting; thread er sind supports the .t bined 'with meeno Vfor causing; to driven or through. t. chamber when enftcoc lll driven through the dry'vig cpy Another object the inten plied to seni coated cnn ens, is me con ends to rotate on tl moving; over or :ii-ong the th thereby bring;- all parte ot til' lms uniformly under the iniincnce oi: dryinggr medium.

Another object the intention duce e drying; machine having 3 drying; chamber that is bounded (outer and inner) Wells which be ing threed or thrends, with one nde be removed end replaced by s larger part to very the redini dim sion said chnmbcr to receive diderent dfi. con ends.

Further objectsl ot the inve tion otherwise improye end simplify dr I chines of this clmrecter, my nu consists in the eiements sind coi'nbi scribed in the specification, and is pointed out in the appendedclaims.

ln the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a drying machine embodying,r my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical partial section and partial elevation of the essential elements thereof.

Figure 3 is a plan view 0f the machine.

Figure a is a fragment illustratingf a plurality of can ends showing' their marginal grooves which receive the sealing medium.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary View similar to Figure 3, showing a modification of' the can head advancing means.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan View 'of the drying chamber, showing a modification. of the lifting thread.

A .machine embodying my invention embraces in general terms adrying chamber formed between an outer and an inner member, one or'both ot` which are formed With a spiral groove having closely spaced turns to constitute a lifting thread or threads which extends from end to end of the members, combined With means to cause the can ends to be driven through said chamber through relative movement ot the can ends and the part or parts on which the lifting thread or threads are formed. the parts being so arranged that the dryingr medium can low among the can ends thus driven through the drying chamber, there being means to feed the can ends to the entering endet the litting thread or threads. TWhen the drying chamber is flanked With one or two threads 'that are formed on fixed or non-rotative members, revoluble driving means may cX- tend through the drying chamber to engage and drive the can ends While supported on the lifting thread or threads; but when the parts of said drying chamber walls which bear said lifting threads are rotative, the driving means that extend into and engage the can ends may be fixed relatively to said walls, and in either event the can ends are caused to travel through the driving chamber by relative .angular movement of the threaded and driving means.

Referring now to the particular details of the illustrated embodiment ot thc invention, the same are made as follows:

10 designates an upright fixed shell which is formed on its inner cylindric wall with a continuous spiral groove extending from end to end thereof to constitute the turns 11, 12 et a spiral threadf-the lower turns of the thread being spaced more widely than the next succeeding threads in order to facilitate the placement ol the can ends in the shell and engaged with the thread. 13 designatcs an inner fixed member shown as of exterior cylindric formation and disposed axially within the chamber 14 enclosed by said shell. The said member 13 is cut on its lawaai? outer circumference with a spiral groove to constitute a thread, the turns 15, 1G of which oppose the turns of the threads 11 and 12,the turns ofthe thread at the lower end of the member 13 being spaced apart to correspond to the lower turns of the thread 12 at the lower end of the shell. T he said shell 10 is open at its top. lt is provided at one side near its bottom with a feed slot 17 through which can ends are ted into the chamber and into operative contact with the inner and outer threads ot' the shell l() and member 13; the said can ends being delivered to said feed slot through a `chute 18 which may be connected with the machine for applying1 the sealing film tothe can ends. The said can ends may be either manually or automatically fed into the drying chamber.

The said liXed inner member 13 and the shell 10 are of such relative size as to provide a dryingr chamber la ot auvidth to receive the can ends with the margins tliereot lying in overlapped relation to the threads on which they are delivered and by which they are caused to travel through rotation of the can ends on their axes. The annular drying chamber thus produced between the inner member 13 and the, shell 10 is of a size to receive a plurality of stacks of can ends C, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, said stacks being spaced around the annular drying' chamber at angular distances required to jfreely receive the driving means by which the can ends are caused to travel spirally about the drying chamber when supported on said threads and through said chamber from the receiving to the discharge end thereof.

rllhe means shown in Figures 2 and 3 lor driving said can ends thus delivered into the drying chamber with their edges supported at diametric points on the lifting threads comprise a plurality of drivingr rods 19 an ranged within the annular drying chamber and extending from end to end thereof, and located adjacent to the inner threaded member 13. with one of saidrods engaging the rims of the can ends ot each group or stach C inwardly beyond their centers, so that vwhen the series of rods are revolved through the chamber the engagement ot the rods will cause the can ends to be rotated on their aires and thus cause said ends to tra-vel upwardly or outwardly along* said threads. Alternatively tivo ot' said driving rods 19 maybe employed, as shown in Figure 5 and arranged to engage the can end edges both radially inside and outside of the. end centers. l)Vhen thus constructed and arranged revoluble movement ot the rods 19. through the annular .dryingf chamber has the effect lill to force the can ends over the lit'tinv threads y till The oi" the single driving rods, or cause the can ends to with 'the circulating drying medium7 as will he evident. y iria-id driving rods are anchored at their ends in sockets ormed on the upper fiese et" horizontal disc 20 which rests and on a bed plate 21,'end said disc provided with an axial bearing openreceive the. central upstanding beartud 22 that is fined to or made integral. with plete As herein shown1 the inner lined member lll is attached to said ups-tending; stud by means o cap screws 23 which entend through openings in an annular inturned l'iange 2l ot said inner lmember and engage screw-threaded openings in the upper end face of the bearing stud 22. The outer shell lll is in a similar manner lined to the bed plate '21 by means of cap screws which entend up ardly through openings at the margin of said hed plate andare threaded into the thickened lower marginal portion Q6 of the shell. Thus the outer internally threaded shell and the inner externally threaded member are rigidi fixed together. in axial relation. llith the construction described` itfbecomes practicable to remove one ot the wall members (the shell l0 or member 15%) and substitute a larger wall member. and thus vary the radial Width of said drying chamber to adapt. it to can ends of different diameters. The said disc 2O may be rotated about the hearing stud 22 by any suitable means. its herein shown7 it is provided with peripheral teeth thug forming" a. large tlat gear to which drivin;t rods are anchored. Said tnothed disc is shown as driven by a pinion '228 lifted to the upper end of a shaft 29 that is mounted in vertical bearing` 30. Said shalt driven in its bearingr through the coaction ot beveled gears 31 thereon and on u horizontal driving shaft 32 which is mounted in laterally spaced bearingsfl that are fixed to the top ot the supporting standard Sil ot the machine. ySaid supportingA standard is provided at its upper'end with a liangedheerd 35 which is ifastened to the bed-plate 2l through the medium of cap screws The end of the drive shaft 32 remote from the beveled gears 3l is provided 4with a sprothet wheel 3? through uhich power may be applied to drive the shalt and through the gearing; described the dri lg rod disc lect accurate placement of -lfn to el the ends in the chamber at the leed slot ll may pr vide downdearing: spring lich entends through the feed slot and is d l to the shell l0 bj a screw Alu:-

iliary to seid 'l mM also )rovide n .L 4, l

opposite to said spring guide lug 40 which is att-ached to the central fixed member i3 parallel with but slightly above the bottom of the receiving thread. as by means ot the screw shown in Figure 2.

lilith the construction described it will be noted that all of the can ends are delivered to the drying chamber through a single feed slot 17 and that 'the driving posts 19 are spaced at sufficient angular distances apart to permit the can ends to be readily fed into the chamber at a time when the space between two adjoining driving rods is opposite the 'leed slot. 'if he series of driving rods and the geared or toothed. disc 2O are adapted to be rotated at aV relatively slow speed so that with the proper number of turns ot' the inner and outer threads the can ends will he moved unitormly and slowly through the drying chamber; and by reason of this relatively slow movement ample time is given to feed the can ends into the chamber between said driving posts and to properly engage the diametric margins thereof with the lifting threads.

The down-bearing spring' 38 serves to hold each can end as it is delivered to the chamber firmly on a. raised annular face el, as shown in Figure 2, substantially flush with the bottom or loWermost operative threads. and the guide lug 4:0 serves to accurately guide the tarmarg'in of the can end into the lower thread of the xed member 13.

42, 42 designate air inlets which conununicate with the bottom of the drying; chambei` to deliver air to the chamber, said inlets being formed in openings in the bed plate 21 and geared disc 20, as the openings in said geared disc 20 are brought in line with the openings in the fixed bed plate 2l, as shown in full lines in Figure 2 and in dotted lines in Figure lt' desired. the air passing' upwardly through said inlets to the dryingr chamber may be 'heated by an annular heating ring 43 disposed coanially with respect to the dryingr chamber und overlapping said inlets. Said heating ring' may be heated by steam passing therethrough, or may constitute a slitted gas burner and, in either event. the 'heating medium is supplied to the ring by a. pipe or conduit 44. as shown in Figure l. @aid heating ring is supported on the bed plate by means of hangers 45.

ln the. operation of the device the can ends are fell to the drying chamber through the feed' slot 17 into engagement with the, lowermost operative widely spaced lthreads and the geared disc 9.0 is slowly rotated through the driving connection described to cause the drivingr rods 19 to hear i on or impinge against the margins ot the can ends adpicent to the inner thread. 'lfhls engagement of the annular series ot moving rods with the can ends causes said ends to 'of the threads and the ends are caused to be moved upwardly` as the can ends below travel through the drying chamber in groups, lying one tiet on the other,`as indirated at the upper end ot' Figure 2. In order to confine the groups of can ends utter they have been'raised above the lifting threads` i may provide a cylindrio guard 4S made. oiI sheet metal and :fastened at its lower tianged end by screws 49 to the upper end of the shell. as shown in Figures l and Q. The inner t'ace of said guard 48 is un extension oi the plain. inner face i6 of the .shell at the upper end thereof, so that the groups ot' free can ends are raised in stacked relation upwardly through the munir-this relation being maintained by the extension ot the driving rods 19. The Contacty of the drivingY rods with the margins of the superposed groups ot can ends at the discharge end ot' the drying chamber will not be sufiieient to turn thev weight of said groups so that said groups will non-rota.- tively rise 4to the upper open end oitV the guard. The sald xguard 1s provided oppo-V site the stacks with vertical grooves 5U through Which the thumb anda finger may be inserted to litt the upper can ends from the Starks.

ln Figure i is fragmentarily shown a plurality ot' van ends 'C ,grouped in the relation shown at the upper ends ot" the stacks, and iu said figure, 5i designates the iilm of sealing medium which was applied to the bottoms of the grooves ot the canl ends, and. which medium has been' dried and hardened during the passage of the can ends through the drying' chamber.

From what has been said, it will be observedthatl a relatively small diameter and compact drying" chambers, equipped .with the lifting threads. as shown, is capable of continuously handling and passing through the drying; chamber a large number of can ends. and it will furthermore be observed that the effective iength ot travel oi the can ends through the chamber is iarge. as compared to the. height or lengthof the drying'chamber. This construction enables a large nuu'ibei.' ot can ends `to be passed slowly through the drying chamber, While stitute a. shalt-like support, Jfor the can ends..v

rEhe outer surface of the inner oyiinorie member 13 is in this instance smooth '.or engagement with the edges of the .seid ends, which are caused to rotate on their axes by engagement of the driving rods Ediz with the can end edges between the inner edge of the shelfdike thread l1 and the inner member 18. The same general prineipie of sensing the can ends to travel through the drying chamber may be effected, though in a. iess efficient manner, through a reversal of the construction described wherein the inner and outer thread carrying members may ne made to rot-ate and to enact with fixed or non-revoluble can end drivingrods. En the last suggested construction, it will be reierahle to provide a plurality of angu ariy spaced feed siots 17.

it is to be understood that the prin'eiples of the invent-ion may be emnloyed'in ma chines differing in structural detail frointhe construction herein shown within the Spirit and scope of the appended claims, Without, sacritcin,r the utilities and advantages' referred to, and that it is the intent to eieirn all of inherent noveltyshovvn in the dranings and described in the specification.

I claim:

1. A drying machine for the purpose. set tor'th comprising a drying chamber 'with means for admitting can ends thereto, and

combined lifting threads and can end driving means to cause the can ends to travei through said chamber.

2. A drying machine for the purpose set. forth comprising a drying chamber with means for admitting can ends thereto, enmbiued lifting threads and can end driving means to cause the can ends to travel through said chamber, and means to afford @ironiation'of a drying medium through said chainber.

3. A drying machine for the purpose set torth comprising a drying chamber with means for admitting can ends thereto to be arranged in parallel groups with the groups angularly spaced about the chamber, and combined lifting threads and can end driv ing means to engage the can ends.

4. A drying machine for the purpose set. forth comprising, outer and inner spiral lift threads forming),r between them a drying chamber. means to feed can ends into eon- Y tact with the entering ends of said threads, and driving means to engage Said can ends when engaged with said threads.

Lil-7233,

echine Eer he jeurpeee eerl eurer end inner hit heeween rhein e, drying c in feed een ends inte ccnreet ing ende er seid threads, und

eeid can ends en their machine Afer the purpeee eer. sing chamber heunded ind out-er Wehe on which. ere

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c ching cioee'y spaced hiring *ce he hy the een end menne t fe Seid can ngeged Wlh seid iinreede y drying machine 'er the purpese set ompriuing e drying chamber bounded i end eurer r?? iis en which ere Icrnred enacting cieeeiy spaced ii'ftingi 'fhrende te he hy ihecen end ne, can end driving ineens entend g thrcugh Seid chemher rer engagement h ,Le een end edges, and feed meen-.e et e ie 'the drying chemher ce-opereting h iihe een heed driving te group me ende 'in seid cheminer in enguieriy spared, eunwerdiy moving groupe S. fing machine for. @urgence eee 'crh eernprising e drying che'znherheunded hy end outer Weihe cn which ere formed hiring; ihreeds adapted to he hy :ae d margins, sind ineens revciuhie annuler chamber to engage the ri iii-re een ends 'te drive seid. een 1 engaged. with seid ihreedn e, rying machine ne purpose Sei; :5:5 'crh ccin'crising e drying iemher bounded hy inner rind cuter weiis, COepere'cing hre S reef en Seid 'Weils edepted ige he enired hy ihre margine cf can ends, end reif'- ihie driving' rede entendine; throngr eziid f chamber :e engage he mirgins of che een ende te exert eccentric driving 'erce thereon rc rotaie ends.

ring machine 'for Athe nurpeee ser 'ier-th comprising' e. drying chamber hcunded. hy inner end outer weils, hiring threeijie zu; @if 'he chamber adapted ic Support ends, reed sint et one end er seid hrcugh which ends :are de engage seid 'hrendir eind ineens 11o een ends on their whiic resiA- eid iii'cing threads. machine r'cr the purlrviose ii ig e drying chemher hennf nd outer Weils, e iifii co-opereiin on said Wells adapted co he enhc mergine er can ends, e can end e one end of seid cheminer, :ind Seid een ende when renting cn ede, the ihr-ends adjacent he Seid Widely spaced in readily receive de and the remaining ihre-eds hcg hreede A ving machine rer the purpose ser :cmprieing :i drying cheuher bounded ier and, cuter Weils, h''ir-.g threads et the sides er" che chamber adapted ic supu peri; the cen ende, e can head feed. sich et ene end er seid chamber, means ce drive the cen ends when supported on` seid threads, and ineens cpposite to seid slot 'rc guide Ache can ends into engagement with 'rhreeda 13. drying mechine'comprising :i shell hei/'ing inner spiral hreed, en inner memher having; en eirrernei spiral thread. ro Jform hee'een 1hem e drying chamber, means to `reed cen ends inic one end of 'seid chemher rc he supported on seid threads, means te rire seid can ends when supported cn seid threads, and means to support the ihr-eed hearing members whereby one of seid. mem here mey he substituted by another of diferene dimension to very the width of seid drying; chamber.

A drying machine comprising a, cyiindric sheli having en inner spiral thread, en inner concentric member having; an ei:- iernei spire-i thread te form therebetween en annuler drying chamber, n zred hed piere supp-creme' said shell and inner memher, end e rotative disc mounted on Seid piane end provided Wigh e plurality 0 een end driving),I rods which entend through seid annuler chamber.

i5. A drying maehineomprising en ennuicr eheh haring an inner spiral thread sind ir ripening', en inner concentric member having en external spiral thread to cri-operare with that of seid shell, e fixed hed pleite supporting said sheli and inner member, e rotative disc supported on said phic end provided with e plurality of drivingI reds which exend through seid chem her for driving engegemrieniy wir-h can ends,

:ind means to rotate seid disc.

i6. .F drying machine comprising; en ennuier sheii having; en inner spiral thread end e reed opening', en inner concentric member haringen external spiral thread rc (1c-operaie with that of Said eheh, and ahmed hed 'piate supporting seid shell :ind inner member, hy means permitting one of the i-hreed hearing members i0 he removed, end enciher suhs'titued therefor tc edapi, ennuier drying chamber ro cen ende-cf diierent diameters.

L7; i drying machine comprising a dry ing chamber iienhed by closeiy spaced spirrd iiting threads to support can ends, menne te cause he can ends co revei through seid che-miner when supported on seid threads, and e, guard fixed to and extending ehove the outer wail or seid chamber and having ai piein inner fece.

l Jil dr in machine com risine e dri the outer war-11 of Said chamber and having a. plain inner face, said ,guard being provided with a plurality of enguleriy space slots opening through the ouer end edge of the guard.

19. A drying machine for the purpose set forth comprising a fixed bed plate provided. with an upsandiug bearing stud, o. shell supported on said plate, a member enclosed by and concentric with seid shell, seid shei and member being" provided with (zo-opera tive spiral. een emi supporting and lifting threads, a geared disc rotatively mounted on seid stud end having means to rotate iig, and driving means xed to said disc and extending through said annular chamber for Contact with seid can ends.

in witness` whereof claim 'the forevoing as my invention, l hereunto eppeu my signature' this lirh day of October, A. D.,

GUSTAV W. HEDSTRM. 

